In an ideal world there would be cross-party support for any electoral reforms, but the passage of the Electoral Amendment Bill was anything but. What the government claimed were "timely and efficient" law changes were "appalling" and shameful to MPs sitting on the other side of the House. PHOTO: ODT FILESJustice Minister Paul Goldsmith, in charge of the Bill, was certainly correct to say that many of the minor changes in Bill are unexceptional and sensible. The governing parties are well aware that late enrollees tend to vote for left-leaning parties, and those parties are equally cognisant of that fact. During the 2023 election in excess of 200,000 people enrolled either during the early voting period or on election day itself.

Source: Otago Daily Times December 29, 2025 16:05 UTC